suhtauduu

Suhtauduu is a Finnish verb form that conveys the idea of having an attitude toward or regarding someone or something. It is commonly treated as a present-tense form of the verb rooted in suhtautua (to relate to, to take a stance toward). In standard Finnish, the most common present-tense form is suhtautuu; suhtauduu appears as a nonstandard variant or dialectal spelling in some contexts, but it is generally understood to carry the same meaning.

Usage and meaning

The verb expresses a stance, evaluation, or orientation toward a person, idea, policy, or situation. It is frequently used in journalism, analysis, politics, and everyday speech to describe how someone views or reacts to something. The construction is typically followed by the object of regard in the illative or in cases such as “lainsäädäntöön” (toward the legislation) with an accompanying adverb that describes the evaluation, for example myönteisesti (positively) or kriittisesti (critically).

Grammatical notes

As a finite verb, suhtauduu marks agreement with the subject. The core semantic unit is the stance or attitude toward a target, rather than an action directed at the target. Related words include the noun suhtauma (attitude, stance) and the related verb suhtaudua/suhtautua in its standard forms.

Example

Hän suhtautuu uuteen lainsäädäntöön myönteisesti. (He regards the new legislation positively.)

The sentence illustrates the core meaning: taking a positive stance toward something.

Etymology and related forms

The verb derives from suhtauma (attitude) and expresses how one positions oneself toward a matter. See also suhtautua and suuntautua as related Finnish roots describing attitudes or approaches.

Note: In most everyday usage, the standard form is suhtautuu; suhtauduu is recognized as a nonstandard variant.